A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

other; SENECA Apocolocyntosis ix. manus manum lavat, hand washes hand.

1573 J. SANFORDE Garden of Pleasure 110 V One hand washeth an other, and both

wash the face. 1611 R. COTGRAVE Dict. French & English s.v. Main, One hand washes

the other; applyable to such as giue vpon assurance, or hope, to be giuen vnto; or vnto

such as anyway serue one anothers turne. 1836 P. HONE Diary 12 Mar. (1927) I. 203

Persons in business.. make, as the saying is, ‘one hand wash the other’. 1983 H.

RESNICOW Gold Solution ix. And three years ago, Erik was on a design jury that picked

the dean’s firm’s entry as a winner. One hand washes the other. 2001 P. J. O’ROURKE

CEO of Sofa xii. 250 One hand washes the other: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,

visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation

of them that hate me—unless they seek counseling, of course. reciprocity

hand see also a BIRD in the hand is worth two in the bush; COLD hands, warm heart; the
DEVIL finds work for idle hands to do; the EYE of a master does more work than both his
hands; FULL cup, steady hand; if IFS and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no work for
tinkers’ hands; MANY hands make light work.

HANDSOME is as handsome does

Handsome denotes chivalrous or genteel behaviour, though it is often popularly taken to
refer to good looks. At its second occurrence in the proverb the word is properly an adverb.
For the common US equivalent, see PRETTY is as pretty does.

c 1580 A. MUNDAY View of Sundry Examples in J. P. Collier John A Kent (1851) 78

As the ancient adage is, goodly is he that goodly dooth. 1659 N. R. Proverbs 49 He is

handsome that handsome doth. 1766 GOLDSMITH Vicar of Wakefield i. They are as

heaven made them, handsome enough if they be good enough; for handsome is that

handsome does. 1845 Spirit of Times 23 Aug. 297 Handsome is as handsome does. 1873

C. M. YONGE Pillars of House II. xvii. ‘Don’t you think her much better looking than

Alda?’ ‘If handsome is that handsome does.’ 1979 A. WILLIAMSON Funeral March for

Siegfried xxiv. ‘But he’s such a handsome, chivalrous, man.’ Handsome is as handsome

does, thought York grimly. appearance; conduct

HANG a thief when he’s young, and he’ll no’ steal when he’s old

1832 A. HENDERSON Scottish Proverbs 115 Hang a thief when he’s young, and

he’ll no [not] steal when he’s auld. 1896 A. CHEVIOT Proverbs of Scotland 126 Hang a

thief when he’s young, and he’ll no steal when he’s auld. This was a favourite saying of